Voices of Conservation
A History of Environmental Movements on the Islands of the Salish Sea
Voices of Conservation chronicles the history and evolution of the conservation movement across eighteen islands in the Salish Sea. Narratively linked by author Sheila Harrington’s two-year sailing journey to the islands to gather over fifty interviews with veteran conservationists, the book provides an in-depth view of conservation land trusts, from their emergence forty years ago through multiple legal battles, organizational challenges, hard lessons, case studies, and human-interest stories.
Beginning in the 1980s, when logging and development threatened the fragile ecosystems and natural spaces of this region, and culminating in the creation of the Gulf Island National Park Reserve, this book will inspire readers to turn apathy to action and support the cause of conservation in an era of species extinction and climate change. Full of colour photos, maps, and fascinating first-hand stories by conservationists—many of whom are now elders—it reveals how grassroots movements have the power to transform the future of a natural environment.
Sheila Harrington is an award-winning author and environmental advocate, with a thirty-year career in the conservation field. She was the founding executive director of the Land Trust Alliance of BC (LTAB) (1997–2011) and is the current director of the Lasqueti Island Nature Conservancy. She is the co-author of the bestselling Islands in the Salish Sea Community Atlas, a finalist for two BC Book Awards and 3rd place winner of the BC Historical Federation prize.
